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CHAPTER TWO
BROOKE
Brooke Weatherby looked up from the column of figures on the report she’d just printed out and sighed. She’d worked hard, studied hard to become a CPA, but thinking of her life now, dealing with numbers every day was depressing. Numbers and dealing with her mother.
She stood and went into the small kitchen of the accounting firm in Ellenton, New York, that claimed most of her life and wondered if that was what she wanted for the foreseeable future. Her stomach twisted at the thought. Really, there had to be something better. But what?
###
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” Brooke asked her mother. “Gran said for me to keep the time open. I’ve told my boss I’m taking an extended vacation, using up all the vacation days I never took off, days that I had coming to me. So, he’s okay with it.”
“I’ll be fine,” her mother said, giving her a bright smile that eventually wavered.
Brooke loved that her mother tried to be pleasant, but she knew what dark days her mother sometimes suffered both mentally and physically. Gran, bless her heart, understood and surprised them with gifts and treats. This invitation to visit her was another example of it. Brooke didn’t often let life get her down, but since breaking up with a man she’d thought loved her, she found it hard to keep her spirits up. The worst part? Her mother was to blame for unknowingly contributing to the breakup when Brooke constantly had to change plans to accommodate her mother’s requests.
It was time to move on. Brooke was more than ready to make some changes in her life. Gran agreed with her. That meant more than anything to Brooke. Conversations with Gran always filled her with hope.
Brooke hugged her mother. “The practical nurse I’ve hired to check in on you should be a big help. She comes highly recommended.”
“Go, don’t worry about me. It’ll do us both good to be on our own,” said her mother. “I know how unhappy you’ve been these past few months.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Brooke hugged and kissed her, then left the house with a determined stride, and headed to her reliable Honda. She’d probably overpacked, but she didn’t care. There was plenty of room in the car to hold the things she thought she might need. All in all, there wasn’t that much. She’d been raised to be frugal.
Once Brooke was on I-95 heading south, she truly felt as if she were escaping. Each mile brought a deeper feeling of contentment.
###
By the time she saw the sign for The Sanderling Cove Inn, Brooke was ready to kick up her heels. Being here with Gran was just what she needed. She pulled up to the main building.
Before she could get out of the car, John came out of the Inn smiling as he headed right to her. “Well, if it isn’t Brookey. How are you?” He kissed her cheek. “I put in a call to your grandmother when I saw you enter the driveway. She’ll be right here to greet you.”
Gran appeared around the corner of the building. She was wearing a pink T-shirt that read, “I Need to Speak to the Manager,” a pair of tan shorts, and her favorite flip-flops with a sparkly pink bow. The smile that crossed Gran’s face filled Brooke with love. Gran might be the only grandparent she had, but she was the best she could imagine for anyone.
Brooke jumped out of her car and into Gran’s welcoming arms.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” said Gran, squeezing her hard. “Charlie arrived yesterday and has put some fresh flowers and a bottle of water in your room. Let’s go down to the house and get you settled.”
“Charlie’s here? How wonderful! I haven’t seen her in months,” said Brooke, surprised but pleased by the idea.
Gran climbed into Brooke’s car, and they drove to the far corner of the land Gran owned. There, behind the house, Brooke parked the car.
She’d no sooner stepped outside the car than Charlie appeared, beaming at her before hugging her tight. “Haven’t seen you in forever.”
“I know,” said Brooke, delighted by Charlie’s welcome. Older than she by one year, Charlie seemed sophisticated in comparison. Charlie always looked put together, beautiful in an unstudied way that Brooke could never achieve.
As they were standing there, a young man approached. “John sent me here to help you with the luggage.”
Brooke’s breath caught as his gaze settled on her. Those brown eyes, outlined by horn-rimmed glasses, seem to reach inside her, making her wish she’d bothered to wash her hair that morning. In a hurry to get here, she hadn’t thought it worth the time. But, then, she didn’t fuss with her appearance that much. Indeed, her life at home hadn’t called for it.
“Thanks, Jake,” said Gran. “Meet my granddaughter, Brooke Weatherby. Brooke, this is Jake McDonnell. He’s working on financial oversight for the Inn. I thought you and he might want to work together on that. That is if Jake is willing to show you what he’s done.”
“That’s a wise idea, Ellie.” Jake turned to Brooke with a smile. “I’ll be glad to work with you. There’s a lot to go over together if you’re okay with it.”
“Sure,” Brooke managed to say without sounding like a smitten fool, which is how she felt. When would she ever learn? Men who looked like that weren’t interested in someone like her. She glanced at Gran.
Gran gave her a beaming smile of approval. “Then that’s settled.”
“Where’s all your luggage?” Charlie asked.
